At this time of year, people traditionally set goals for next year. Do you have something you want to achieve over the coming months? If so, then you’ll have a much better chance of reaching your goal if you make it “SMART”.
SMART is an acronym that refers to the five ingredients of a successful goal: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. It is based on the work of famed management guru Peter Drucker, but the technique is equally applicable to personal goals.
Here’s how it works:
Let’s say your goal is to lose weight.
To make this goal SMART, you would need to make...

We’re supposed to look forward to the holidays and hope that they will be a time of happiness, friendliness, fellowship, and harmony. Yet often our anticipation and excitement turns into feelings of depresion, commonly called holiday blues. Symptoms can include headaches, insomnia, uneasiness, anxiety, sadness, intestinal problems, and unnecessary conflict with family and friends.
Part of what happens in the holiday season, in terms of mood changes and anxiety, may occur because of the stressfulness of holiday events. Overdrinking, overeating, and fatigue may also cause it. The demands of the...

Posted by Michelle in Lifestyle
| Comments Off on August Is A Great Month To Plant More Seeds

August is an ideal time to plant seeds for a second gardening season that can be as productive as your major early spring plantings. Late summer is the time to plant these vegetables and herbs.
Beans:
Start planting both bush and pole beans now that the soil and air are warmed up. Try a continual 7-10 day sowing of different varieties. This will give you continual bean crops and not one large harvest with wasted crop. Early August is the last practical sowing date.
Suggested variety: Contender, Kentucky Wonder, Topcrop
Cucumbers
Fast growing vine or bush cucumber plants can produce an abundance of...

Grasses are like most plants – if you clip off the growing points (for grass, it’s in the crown, where the new leaves develop), the plants branch out and become denser, which in this case, turns thousands of individual grass plants into a tightly woven turf or a lawn. If you didn’t mow at all, your yard would look more like a prairie than a lawn. But the mere act of mowing isn’t what makes a lawn look good. Mowing height and mowing frequency determine how healthy and attractive your lawn looks. After all, cutting a lawn is stressful for the grass.
Know the equipment.
Read...

Brown/Black eyes
You’re a natural leader, seemingly born to lead people through life. People with darker eyes are often seen as more agreeable too. You tend to drink less alcohol and love playing sports. Find your inner strength and you could rule the world.
Blue eyes.
You have great inner and physical strength, though it’s sometimes a struggle for people to see it. People are often quick to judge you before they know you. They see you as weak or timid. Despite that, women with blue eyes were found to tolerate the pain of child birth better. You’re also able to handle some forms of...

Is your power of mind really so great that you can condition it to achieve anything you want, such as gaining more profits and finding your desired relationship? What exactly are mind power secrets and is there any way that you can unlock these secrets to help attain success.
Over the years, there have been numerous studies done to prove the power of our minds and the results have been positive. If you have yet to discover the keys to these secrets, this article may be a life-changing experience for you!
The Potentials of Your Power of Mind.
Expert’s studies have discovered that there are actually a...

Spring’s arrival brings a smile to most, but warmer weather can also bring homeowner concerns in the form of unwanted guests-termites!
One of the major things termites require to thrive is warm temperatures. As the temperature rises, it is important to recognize the conditions conducive to termite infestation and how you can protect your property. Dan Dawson, National Marketing Manager at Orkin Canada explains the magnitude of the threat posed by termites: “Subterranean termites typically cause the most structural damage and are most prevalent in the southern coastal areas, the dry climate...

When you are feeling sick, the best drinks make you feel better both physically and psychologically. Depending on whether you are weathering the flu, recovering from a stomach ailment or soothing a head-cold, the best beverage for you will hydrate your body, provide you with nutrients to mitigate your symptoms and aid a speedy recovery.
Herbal Tea
A cup of warm herbal tea can help relieve the symptoms of many illnesses, from an upset stomach to a nasty cold. Ginger tea relieves nausea, including queasiness related to morning sickness. Chamomile tea has a mild floral flavor and may help soothe an upset...

Posted by Michelle in Selling
| Comments Off on Little Things Make a Big Difference

There’s no doubt about it. A completely renovated room – especially a kitchen or bathroom – will really impress home buyers. That room will probably look brand new and very stylish.
But you don’t have to do a full “tear-down-the-walls” type of renovation to upgrade the look of a room. In fact, just a few minor improvements can make a big difference.
For example, upgrading wall plates is an easy and inexpensive way to add a lot more style and personality to a room.
In the kitchen, installing new hardware on existing cabinets can have a dramatic impact. So, look around your house to...

Posted by Michelle in Your Finances
| Comments Off on Pay your mortgage and save too? Here’s a formula to build your wealth.

As false assurances go, there’s nothing like your bank telling you the house you’ve got your eye on is affordable.
Maybe the mortgage you need will truly fit your budget. But you won’t know for sure until you try my new measure of how balanced you are in terms of what you’re saving and borrowing.
It’s called the Total Debt Service + Savings Ratio and it was introduced in a column last month on how smart management of big costs such as home buying is a better way to find money for saving than obsessing over little things like lattes.
he TDSS ratio is a guide to balancing debts, saving for...

Home maintenance is something we often neglect. Even though your condo may have a property manager for exterior maintenance, the inside of your unit is still largely your responsibility. Between our daily and weekly responsibilities, maintenance is something that often falls by the wayside. But it’s essential. Like your vehicle, your home and property benefit from regular tune-ups.
Fun, right? We know: not so much. But here’s the good news. Taking on home maintenance in 10-minute bursts is the smart way to get it done.
Here’s our checklist of 12 things you can easily manage, each in 10 minutes...

Fall is the best season, while the weather is still somewhat reliable, to prepare your home for the cold winter months ahead. Start at the top and work down to make sure all areas of your home are ready. Here are some important things to consider completing before the winter months.
Roof. Inspect your roof from the ground, or preferably, hire a professional, and check for damaged or missing shingles, or worn or curling edges. Repair or replace your roofing materials as needed. For steel roofing, this is the time to check that all ice guards are in place and undamaged.
If your home is prone to ice...